The United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division is the division of the United States Department of Justice that enforces U.S. antitrust law. It shares authority with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for enforcing civil antitrust law under the Sherman Act and Clayton Act. It also has exclusive authority to enforce criminal antitrust law under the Sherman Act.

History

Early years On February 25, 1903, Congress earmarked $500,000 for antitrust enforcement. On March 3, 1903, Congress created the position of Antitrust Attorney General, with a salary to be paid out of the funds earmarked for antitrust enforcement. The 1904 DOJ Register identified two professional staffers responsible for enforcement of antitrust laws, but the Division was not formally established until 1919.

Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer “effected the first important reorganization" of DOJ since it was first established in 1870. Palmer organized DOJ into divisions, and placed the assistant attorney general “in charge of the Anti-Trust Division.” Palmer's annual report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1919 contained the first public statement that DOJ had a component called the "Antitrust Division."

2013 closure of field offices The closure of four of the Antitrust Division's criminal antitrust offices in January 2013 generated significant controversy within the Division and among members of Congress. The Attorney General posited that the closure of these offices would save money and not negatively affect criminal enforcement.

A significant number of career prosecutors voiced contrary opinions, noting that the elimination of half of the Division's criminal enforcement offices would increase travel expenses and diminish the likelihood of uncovering local or regional conspiracies.

Leadership

The Antitrust Division is led by an assistant attorney general (AAG) who is appointed by the president of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Antitrust Division's AAG reports to the associate attorney general and the deputy attorney general. The current assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division is Gail Slater.

List of Assistant Attorneys General for the Antitrust Division Name Years of service Appointed by William Joseph Donovan 1926–1927 Calvin Coolidge John Lord O'Brian 1929–1933 Herbert Hoover Robert H. Jackson 1937–1938 Franklin D. Roosevelt Thurman Arnold 1938–1943 Franklin D. Roosevelt Wendell Berge 1943–1947 Franklin D. Roosevelt John F. Sonnett 1947–1948 Harry S. Truman Herbert Bergson 1948–1950 Harry S. Truman Leonard Bessman 1950–1951 Harry S. Truman H. Graham Morison 1951–1952 Harry S. Truman Newell A. Clapp (acting) 1952–1953 Harry S. Truman Stanley Barnes 1953–1956 Dwight D. Eisenhower Victor R. Hansen 1956–1959 Dwight D. Eisenhower Robert A. Bicks 1959–1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower Lee Loevinger 1961–1963 John F. Kennedy William Horsley Orrick, Jr. 1963–1965 John F. Kennedy Donald F. Turner 1965–1968 Lyndon B. Johnson Edwin Zimmerman 1968–1969 Lyndon B. Johnson Richard W. McLaren 1969–1972 Richard Nixon Walker B. Comegys (acting) 1972 Acting Thomas E. Kauper 1972–1976 Richard Nixon Donald I. Baker 1976–1977 Gerald Ford John H. Shenefield 1977–1979 Jimmy Carter Sanford Litvack 1979–1981 Jimmy CarterWilliam Baxter 1981–1983 Ronald Reagan J. Paul McGrath 1983–1985 Ronald Reagan Douglas H. Ginsburg 1985–1986 Ronald Reagan Charles Rule 1986–1989 Ronald Reagan James F. Rill 1989–1992 George H. W. Bush Charles James (acting) 1992 Acting J. Mark Gidley (acting) 1992–1993 Acting Anne Bingaman 1993–1996 Bill Clinton Joel Klein 1996–2000 Bill Clinton Douglas Melamed (acting) 2000–2001 ActingCharles James 2001–2003 George W. Bush R. Hewitt Pate 2003–2005 George W. Bush Thomas O. Barnett 2005–2008 George W. Bush Deborah A. Garza (acting) 2008–2009 Acting Christine A. Varney 2009–2011 Barack Obama Sharis Pozen (acting) 2011–2012 Acting Joseph F. Wayland (acting) 2012 Acting Renata Hesse (acting) 2012–2013 Acting William Baer 2013–2016 Barack ObamaRenata Hesse (acting)2016-2017ActingBrent C. Snyder (acting)2017ActingAndrew C. Finch (acting)2017Acting Makan Delrahim 2017–2021 Donald TrumpRichard A. Powers (acting)2021ActingJonathan Kanter2021–2024Joe BidenDoha Mekki 2024-2025Acting Omeed Assefi (acting) 2025 ActingGail Slater2025–2026Donald TrumpOmeed Assefi2026Acting

Current organizational structure The Assistant Attorney General is assisted by Deputy Assistant Attorneys General (DAAG). One of the DAAGs holds the position of "Principal Deputy," that is "first among equals," and "will typically assume the powers of the Assistant Attorney General in the Assistant Attorney General's absence."

, the Antitrust Division consists of these sections and offices:

Office of the Assistant Attorney General Assistant Attorney General Deputy Assistant Attorneys General Chief of Staff and Senior Advisors Directors of Enforcement Office of the Chief Legal Advisor

Civil Enforcement Program Anti-Monopoly and Collusion Enforcement Section Defense, Industrials, and Aerospace Section Financial Services, Fintech, and Banking Section Healthcare and Consumer Products Section Media, Entertainment, and Communications Section Technology and Digital Platforms Section Transportation, Energy, and Agriculture Section

Criminal Sections and Offices Chicago Office (also has civil enforcement responsibilities) New York Office San Francisco Office (also has civil enforcement responsibilities) Washington Criminal Section

Expert Analysis Group Economic Analysis Group

Executive Office

Executive Office Paralegal Unit

Litigation Program

Policy and Advocacy Program

Appellate Section Competition Policy and Advocacy Section International Section State Relations

See also Competition Bureau (Canadian counterpart) Competition policy Competition regulator Federal Trade Commission United States v. Microsoft Corp.

References

External links Official homepage of the Antitrust Division About the Antitrust Division – Mission, History, Sections and Offices